1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a perforator for perforating a sheet-shaped recording medium, for example, paper; a paper handler that includes the perforator; and an imaging apparatus comprising the perforator or the paper handler, such as copy machine, fax machine, printer, or a combination of these. The present invention particularly relates to a perforator, paper handler, and imaging apparatus having a recovery mechanism for the chad after perforating.
2. Description of the Background Art
Paper finishers as paper handlers, and imaging apparatuses provided integrally or separately with these paper finishers include those that are provided with a perforator for perforating a sheet-shaped recording medium (hereinafter referred to as paper). In an apparatus provided with such a perforator, the main body of the imaging apparatus forms an image and the discharged paper is perforated by the perforator, then the paper is either discharged in unaltered form into a catch tray (discharged loading part), or delivered to a paper finisher for assorting, filing, or stacking.
Such a perforator includes a punch and die for opening holes in the paper, a punch chad delivery device for delivering the punch chad created when the punch and die open holes in the paper, and a punch chad box (hopper) for collecting the punch chad delivered by the punch chad delivery device. An example of such a perforator is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Nos. 2001-25995, 7-112861, and 6-155393, for example.
In the perforator disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-25995, the punch chad delivery device employs a screw-type delivery device, and is configured such that the punch chad box is detachably provided to the outer side of the main body of the imaging apparatus. The punch chad delivery device stops being driven when the punch chad box is removed from the main body of the imaging apparatus, but the image forming operation of the imaging apparatus continues. This conventional perforator is thereby designed such that the punch chad is not dispersed as waste to the exterior of the device.
Also, in the perforator disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-112861, the device for storing the chad during the perforation process is configured such that a punch chad receptacle can be detached from the imaging apparatus exterior via an opening formed in a side panel on the main body of the imaging apparatus, and is also configured such that forming the punch chad receptacle with transparent plastic or another such material allows the punch chad receptacle interior to be visible from outside the apparatus. The punch chad receptacle is also disposed on the side of the main body of the imaging apparatus, so punch chad can be easily processed from the exterior.
Furthermore, in the perforator disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 6-155393, the punch mechanism is mounted on an opening and closing cover provided to the side of the copy machine main body, and a paper ejecting tank for storing punch chad created when punch holes are opened by the punch mechanism can be detached from the opening and closing cover.
However, with a conventional perforator described above, sometimes the chad after perforation falls into the interior of the device or is scattered to the device exterior. When the chad thus falls into the device interior or is scattered to the device exterior without being collected in a chad collecting box or the like, the chad may enter the portion in the device relating to imaging and hinder the imaging process, or may be scattered onto the floor on which the device is installed and have an adverse effect on the work area.